Biography

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Australian guitarist  Paul Svoboda  graduated with First Class Honours from the School of Music, University of Queensland in 1989, receiving the University Medal for outstanding achievement as well as the prize for Most Outstanding Music Graduate for that year. In 1994 he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki, Finland. During the 1990s Paul was Lecturer in Classical Guitar at the Kuopio Conservatorium of Music and Dance, Finland. In the early 2000s he lectured in music subjects at the School of Music, University of Queensland. 

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Also in 1994 a  Finnish TV programme was produced about his composition, "Finnish Suite", for Flute & Guitar, performed by his flautist-wife Outi and himself. In 1998 American flute/guitar duo Sandra Seefeld & Richard Goering recorded a CD completely devoted to his compositions for that combination. Paul has performed solo and chamber music concerts in Finland, Czech Republic, Thailand, Switzerland, China, Germany and Australia.  ​

 

Paul is highly active as a teacher, performer and composer. His list of compositions is extensive, and it is one of his goals to extend the professional performing and teaching repertoire for the classical guitar by composing appealing pieces with a “modern touch”. 

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In recent years Paul has become fascinated with the newly emerging genre of the classical guitar ensemble, constantly adding to its growing repertoire. His philosophy of composition is that every section of the group should have something interesting to play in each piece – this leads to greater enjoyment and better performance! 

 

Paul’s music is regularly broadcast on ABC Classic FM and also features in the AMEB grade lists. Based in Brisbane, he founded classical guitar programs at several schools, particularly Loreto College Coorparoo, where he taught for 24 years until retiring in 2023. In 2006-2010 his advanced school groups took part in the West Australian International Classical Guitar Ensembles Festival, to great acclaim. Years later, in 2020, 2025 and 2026 Paul was invited to adjudicate this festival.

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​From 2014–2025 Paul directed the Classical Guitar Orchestral Stream of the Adelaide Guitar Winter School, in collaboration with Musical Director Slava Grigoryan. Over those years this annual event became a real feature, working in conjunction with its parent event, the Adelaide Guitar Festival. He has also adjudicated the Australian Classical Guitar Competition on many occasions.​

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From 2013-2018 Paul was the invited specialist at the Mulkadee Youth Arts Festival in Townsville. Mulkadee has been a  massive arts education event, culminating in a final concert in the Townsville Entertainment Centre to audiences of 2,000 and more.​

 

Paul is in demand as a classical guitar ensemble specialist and is regularly invited to give workshop/masterclasses. In his free time he loves being with his wife, following the activities of his adult children, reading and trying to improve at tennis.